Improvement in bee-hives



G. W. ARMSTRONG 8f. C.'F. GILLET.

Bee-Hives.

Patented March 24, 41874.

Inventor.

C; af,

it/torneys. Y

GEORGE W. ARMSTRONG AND CHARLES F. GILLET, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILL.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEEHIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 148,9l4, dated March24, 1874; application filed October 16, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. ARM- STRONG and CHAs. F. GILLET, ofSpringfield, in the county of Sangamon and in the State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bee-Hives; and dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof7 reference being had to the accompanying drawingsand to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of thisspecification.

The nature of our invention consists in the construction and arrangementof a bee-hive, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which our inventionappertains to make and use the same, we will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring` to the annexed drawing, in which-Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of our bee-hive. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the top of the brood-chamber, and Fig. 3 is asection through the same.

A represents a square box-hive, supported upon four legs, B B, andprovided with an inclined bottom, O, which projects downward, and formsthe alighting-board D. Over this alighting-board is a sliding board, E,held in place by means of two springs, G. The sliding board E may bemoved up and down at will, to regulate the size of the bee-entrance a,or entirely close the same, as desired. The hive is provided with adouble top, consisting of two boards, H and J. lhe board H is fastenedpermanently on the hive A, and the board J is pivoted in the center ontop of the board H. The stationary board H is, on one side of thecenter, provided with an elongated slot, d, and the pivoted lboard J isprovided with two similar slots, b and b', one on each side of thecenter, so arranged that, by turning the board J, either one of theslots may be brought over and correspond with the slot d, and thus forma passage from the main hive or brood-chamber through the top. In placeof elongated slots, circular holes may be made and answer the samepurpose. The board J is on one side provided with a handle, I, by meansof which it is readily turned as desired. On the board J are placed .two

honey-boxes, L and L', which are open at the bottom, and provided on oneside with a beepassage, c, and the two boxes are covered with a cap, O,as shown. By placing the board J in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3,so that the slot b is over the slot d in the stationary board H, andthen placing the honey-box L over these holes, and the box L' in such aposition that there is no communication between the two boxes, the beescan gain access only to the box L, and will begin to deposit honey inthe same. Vhen the box L is partly iilled, the box L is reversed, so asto open the passage between the two, and the board J, with the boxesupon it, is turned one-half around, which brings the empty box over thepassage d, and compels the bees to pass through the empty box Ll toreach the one partly filled, by which means they will become acquaintedwith the empty box, and begin to deposit honey in the same as soon as orbefore the box L is lled. After this box L is filled, which can be seenthrough the glass plate in the end, it can be removed, and another putin its place and be subjected to the same movements as before.

It is well known that bees do not commence to deposit honey in a boxuntil they have become familiar with the same, which often requiresconsiderable time. Therefore, by causing the bees to pass through anempty box to the one in which they have been accustomed to deposithoney, they will become acquainted or familiar with this empty box, evenbefore the other is entirely filled, and hence considerable time issaved and more honey is obtained in the same length of time than wouldotherwise be the case.

The bees may be forced down into the main hive, and the board J turnedone-quarter around, thereby shutting them off entirely from the boxes,and enabling the bee-keeper to take the honey with very little or notrouble and danger.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The extended inclined bottom O, forming the alighting-board D, incombination with the sliding board E and springs G G, substantialiy asand for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The stationary top H, provided With the apertured7 in combinationWith the revolving top J, provided with the apertures b and b,substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our handsthis 18th day vof September, 1873.

G. W. ARMSTRONG. C. F. GILLET.

fitnesses C. L. EVERT, SETH B. BROCK.

